The last remnants of the Nokia Republic are being swept away

Microsoft is expanding its retail presence around the world by converting Nokia stores into branded Microsoft outlets.

The old Nokia stores will soon become Microsoft Authorised Resellers and service centres, bringing Microsoft “on brand” with its other brick and mortar offerings.

Beyond the uninspiring name, the conversion will actually be good news for those with a Nokia store in their locale.

The outlets will enable consumers to go hands on with the Lumia, Surface and Xbox brands as well as pick up various accessories for their Windows-powered devices.

For example, Microsoft’s Chris Weber says (via Engadget): “Buyers will see the experience of Skype and multiple hardware across the Windows ecosystem whether it is on phones, PC, tablets or Xbox bringing the whole experience to life and offering them a compelling value proposition.”

While it’s not so newsworthy for countries with dedicated Microsoft Stores, like the United States and the UK, consumers in India, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam will benefit from the converted outlets.

The rebranding will also involve a fancy furniture, fittings and lighting revamp in order to match up to Microsoft’s official retail outlets.

Since the takeover was rubber stamped in 2014, Microsoft has been gradually phasing out the Nokia name, starting with dispelling the brand from the Lumia range of smartphones.